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Bipartisan group of Senators present COVID aid plan

A group of nine Senators–five Democrats and four Republicans–presented a $908 billion coronavirus aid package as a way to jumpstart negotiations for a new relief bill as key provisions of the CARES Act, passed in March, expire, the Washington Post reports.

With Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin scheduled to have a call at 1 p.m. ET Tuesday, the compromise package becomes a starting point from which the two sides can discuss moving forward, knowing that there is support in the Senate, where previous relief bills went to die.  The House passed the HEROES Act in May, but the Senate has refused to consider the legislation.

“Our action to provide emergency relief is needed now more than ever before. The people need to know we are not going to leave until we get something accomplished,” Democratic West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin said in a morning press briefing. “I’m committed to seeing this through.”

The Senators working on this compromise package were reported to be Democrats Manchin, Virginia’s Mark Warner, Illinois’s Dick Durbin, Delaware’s Chris Coons, and Colorado’s Michael Bennet.  Republicans participating are Maine’s Susan Collins, Utah’s Mitt Romney, Ohio’s Rob Portman, and Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski.

The compromise bill provides for a $300 per week federal supplement to unemployment payments and $160 billion to help financially-strapped states and municipalities, two key things pushed by Democrats.  The $300 per week is less than the $600 sought by Democrats.

Republicans got a moratorium on lawsuits against employers whose employees contract coronavirus on the job; republicans wanted an overarching liability shield for employers.

According to the Post, the package includes $288 billion in funding in support for small businesses, including through the Paycheck Protection Program and other business aid. It also includes $45 billion for transportation agencies; $82 billion for education; $26 billion in nutrition assistance; and $16 billion in health care, including to help with vaccine distribution and testing and tracing of the coronavirus.

There is no provision for a $1,200 individual stimulus check, supported by most Republicans and Democrats, but opposed by “Tea Party” conservatives who feel it would cost too much.

Economists point to expiring aid packages as a risk to economic stability in the new year, stifling consumer spending as millions of people remain out of work or lose jobs and millions of people become infected by the coronavirus.

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